Southern California students from pre-school to college can use Metrolink for free

Passengers with bicycles wait at the Downtown Redlands Station on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, preparing to ride the Arrow train on the Redlands-San Bernardino line. (Getty Images)

Southern California students with a valid student ID will be able to use Metrolink for free throughout the summer after the passenger railroad renewed its popular Student Adventure Pass program.

The ticket allows any K-12 student to travel free anywhere within Metrolink’s 545-mile service area.

The scheme was introduced in October 2023 and has proven a success with students, many of whom have never used regional trains before.

“The program has provided much-needed financial relief to tens of thousands of Southern California students who can use the savings toward food, rent and other educational expenses like books and supplies,” said Metrolink Board Chairman Larry McCallon. “By bringing the next generation to our region’s public transportation network, the Student Adventure Pass is also laying the groundwork for a more sustainable, less car-dependent future.”

On Friday, the Metrolink Board of Directors approved a one-year extension of the program. It was set to expire on Sunday at the end of a nine-month pilot program.

Metrolink says the pass has been used more than 500,000 times since its launch. More than 32,000 students from 557 schools have registered for the program, which can be done via the Metrolink app or at the station’s ticket machine.

Students are becoming a major part of Metrolink’s total ridership, with estimates showing they make up around a quarter of all riders – up from 16% in 2023.

CEO Darren Kettle said at a media event on Friday that he reaches out to students himself on his regular train trips.

“If we could, if we could do this for you for free, what would that mean?” Kettle said, describing an earlier interaction with several Cal State Los Angeles students on a Metrolink train. “And it was like, ‘Oh, this would be the best thing that ever happened; “this could never happen.”

He said some of the same students contacted him a few months later after the program had successfully launched. “She said, ‘I thought you were lying,’” Kettle said with a laugh.

The pilot program was made possible thanks to Metrolink’s “pooling” of funds for its implementation.

“It was such a success that we ran out of money and had to seek some funding from another program,” Kettle said.

This time, the program is supported by grants, but is additionally supported by five Metrolink member agencies: LA Metro, Orange County Transportation Authority, Riverside County Transportation Commission, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority and Ventura County Transportation Commission.

“Our member agencies, the five counties, have seen the wisdom of this program… if you get young people on public transportation early, you become lifelong public transportation users,” Kettle said.

Students will need to present a valid ticket and student ID if asked to show proof of payment. Metrolink tickets also provide free transfers to the Los Angeles Metro and other local transit agencies.

You can find more information about the Student Adventure Pass program here.